Finance Placement Review

Mondays would consist of reporting on the previous week- looking into the impact of different Gross Margin components on the risk/opportunities. The rest of the week would be various Gross Margin Analysis using Excel and PowerBi.

I have become far more proficient in Excel through the daily use of it. I can use and understand far more complex formulas such as VLookUps, Index's and Pivot tables. I have also learnt a new skill, PowerBi, This has helped me understand how to manipulate data. I think having learnt PowerBi, I will be able to pick up on new technologies quicker in the future.

The responsibility I had as the year went on increased at a good rate. I started with Weekly pieces that I was solely responsible for then became more involved in more Ad Hoc pieces of work to support others. There were times at which I felt there wasn't loads to do but I was able to use this time to set myself work which would develop my skills and understanding of my area.

I had a very supportive team who I was comfortable asking for help from. For most of the year I had weekly meetings with my line manager where I could bring up any concerns I had. There were always opportunities to ask for support outside of these catch ups. My wider team were always willing to help me if i had any questions. Questions were highly encouraged.

The company culture was really sociable. There were social events where you could have a break from your work to catch up with people you don't always work with. These socials varied from being company wide to team specific There were lots of Placement/Graduate socials which were nice to have when moving to a new city alone.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement. It far exceeded any prior expectations I had. Being surrounded by such a good team made me look forward to work everyday. Not only was the culture great but I really enjoyed my work. Seeing the diversity in the roles has made me excited to experience more and has confirmed that I want to work in Finance. I would recommend TJX to anybody!

Yes

One of the best pieces of advice would be to be curious and ask lots of questions. I wish I was more confident in asking questions about areas of work outside of my specific role straight away. As soon as I started asking more questions I felt like it began to consolidate my knowledge of how Finance works as a whole. It gave me insight into the future path i'd like to take.